You already pay for public school with your taxes and now that charter schools are around, you have variety of choice, right? So, why send your children to a private school like The Renaissance Preparatory Academy (TRPA) or even consider doing so? People have a variety of reasons. I will be sharing a series of reasons why offered by others and how we meet their needs here at The Renaissance Preparatory Academy. Check out these 3 reasons and see if any of them resonate with you! Parents are very satisfied with private schools (BETTER EDUCATION & BETTER PREPARATION FOR COLLEGE). The Council for American Private Education has a full brochure addressing reasons why private education is valuable to parents. The goals for private schools is often academic excellence and safety of students and, indeed, in 2016, 46 percent of private school parents (32 for charter school parents and 23 for public school parents) were very satisfied with teacher quality (see graph which links to full article). 75% private school parents were very satisfied with their schools (see the above brochure). Private schools include independent, parochial and religious schools. An independent school is one that is non-profit, and maintains fiscal independence from tax or church monies. The Renaissance Preparatory Academy is an independent school that has an advanced curriculum. One of the unique attributes of our school is our reading program. The program we use, The Writing Road to Reading, often results in 3rd graders who can read at 5th grade level or higher! The continued refinement in elementary grades with the SRA developmental program, works on reading speed along with reading comprehension. Our goal is to enable all of our graduates be ready for Advanced Placement in high school, eager and capable of excellence in college, having acquired the intangible skills needed for entrepreneurial/small business/professional success! Small class sizes of private schools nourish Kindergarten through Primary grade students’ development of best learning habits. (BETTER LEARNING ENVIRONMENT & SMALLER CLASS SIZES) Mary Polychornas, school psychologist for 20 years in Canada, “thinks the critical years for the best-quality learning environment start in Kindergarten and continue through primary school. “I find those years are crucial. This is when children are developing their learning styles and learning habits. Private schools offer small classes that can nourish these young learners,: she says. “those good , appropriate learning habits are easier to learn in a smaller setting.” (http://www.ourkids.net/school/psychologists-viewpoint) Class sizes range from 9 to 15 students and we have four multi-grade classrooms at The Renaissance Preparatory Academy. Our PrePrimary includes Kindergarten and 1st grades (beginning readers). Our Primary class refines the reading skills of those in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades. We may have multiple PrePrimary and Primary classes but all will be multi-aged and graded. This type of a classroom allows for the natural development and integration of social skills. There is time for teacher-guided education, time for individual self-directed education, and time for collaborative learning applying that education. The combination of our educational philosophy and curriculum, the numbers of students, and their range of age results in a great learning environment for students! Private schools’ emphasis on teaching and learning results in excelling students and practical support for parents (INDIVIDUALIZED ATTENTION FOR CHILD & LOW STUDENT TO TEACHER RATIO) . Jane Murray, (https://www.theguardian.com/education/2012/jul/23/why-send-child-to-private-school) from the UK, had scoffed at private school education and referred to it as an elitist choice. This changed in 2012 when as a working parent she was faced with either finding multiple places for her child throughout the day or enrolling in a private prep school that had programs from 8am to 6pm and even some holiday care all of which was missing from her local public school offerings. She finds it practical for her and wonderful for her daughter. She found that her child flourished in the small class sizes and the close welcoming culture of the small school (the whole school was smaller than her child’s age group at the local public elementary). She found that her daughter was excelling beyond expectations for her age. She’s kept her child in the private school environment. She comments, “while each one has a slightly different feel, underpinning that are always strong discipline, high standards and a healthy sense of competition... resources are directed where they are needed most --- at teaching and learning.” Children have a customized learning engagement and advancement program (LEAP) plan that they follow as the teacher gives small group instruction. This combination of self-directed learning and teacher-guided learning (4 to 5 students:1 teacher) results in children who excel! Yet, along with this learning orientation, we have a strong honor code so that students learn to shape their actions to match their code of behavior. Self-discipline with respect to character and academics is reinforced here! In general, these are some very traditional reasons to choose a private school over a public school or its public alternative. We'll hear more about specific needs of parents and children and why The Renaissance Preparatory Academy might be the right educational environment for your family tomorrow! Dr. B Janice Black, Ed. Sp., Ph. D. Founding Headmaster
7 Comments
4/11/2018 09:45:11 pm
I'm glad that you explain how kids are in smaller classes when they go to private schools, which can help nourish them so that they get good, appropriate learning habits. Smaller classes would give them more opportunity to talk to their teacher and ask questions so that they'll understand what they're being taught. When choosing one, it would probably be a good idea to consider your child's age range so that you can determine what type of private school they require. Once you've done this, you'd probably want to research the different options and visit them so that you can find one with friendly and knowledgeable teachers in order to make sure your child will get the knowledge and skills they need.
Reply
7/5/2018 05:44:09 pm
Thanks for explaining how a private school is a good idea because it has a greater emphasis on teaching and learning. It would be smart to find a school that can really cater to your child's individual needs as well. My son has trouble in conventional schools, so maybe a private school would work for him.
Reply
7/16/2018 04:18:53 pm
My son has been having a lot of trouble getting the individualized care he needs to thrive at public schools. Because of this, I really appreciated how you say that a private school generally provides smaller class sizes and more one on one time with the teacher. Finding a place who is willing to work with my son individually would probably help him succeed in school.
Reply
10/4/2018 11:07:12 am
Small class sizes is a great reason for choosing a private school, like you said. That will help kids develop better learning habits, like you also said. It also allows teachers to focus on each student individually and what learning method works for each of them.
Reply
6/11/2019 06:39:31 pm
My sister's child will be going to school soon and she wants to make sure that he will receive a good education. It was explained here that small class sizes in schools will help nourish children of the best learning habits. Moreover, it's recommended to consult experts when looking for a private school.
Reply
7/17/2019 09:34:18 am
It's good to know that private schools offer better preparation for college than public schools. My wife and I want our kids to have every possible advantage that they can to be succesful, and private school seems like a great first step. We'll be looking further into our options for private school in the future.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Founder's Blog by
|